The Year in Review
By Robert Waldman
York Public Library Director
Associate Editor Jennifer Saunders informed us that The Independent would be publishing a late-December issue in which town and community organization leaders were invited to summarize the year's activities.
In this year's Annual Report, I noted that being open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays until 8 p.m., each morning at 10 a.m. and until 2 p.m. on Saturdays, has enabled the library to extend its services. The result is that our statistics went up, from new registrations to the number of items borrowed.
Circulation rose 27 percent to 86,000 items; the number of patrons 12 percent; ILL-borrowed increased 182 percent and loaned 85 percent; public computer sessions and website visits went up 51 percent. Our number of programs increased 54 percent and the attendance at those programs 46 percent. We added over 25 new magazine and newspaper titles and almost 500 DVDs.
So many meetings, programs and activities are currently being held at the library that cataloging them, though impressive, would fill up this column. Suffice it to say that town, business and community organization meetings and extensive and diverse programming and exhibits continue to make the library the center of York's cultural and municipal activity.
As a center of learning and reading, the library is a place where ideas are explored and prejudices challenged for the betterment of our community. Two programs, "Behind the Headlines: An Introduction to the Middle East," funded by a grant from the Maine Humanities Council, and a series on Jewish Life and Literature, funded by the American Library Association, illustrate this point. There were waiting lists for each series. On the Jewish Life and Literature series, a second grant allowed us to add an additional section facilitated by a local scholar. One participant commented that this series made her a better person by helping her to understand differences and to share her discoveries with family and friends.
The library is a center of social activity as well. Most recently, hundreds of children, their families and community members visited the York Public Library on Dec. 1 and 2 to partake of a variety of activities celebrating the Festival of Lights. They watched holiday films, took a trolley ride and visited with Santa. A highlight of the festival was the second annual Festival of Gingerbread Houses. No one summed up the spirit of the library at holiday time better than Lori Nelson, the director of the York Senior Center.
"I just wanted to tell you how magical and special your Gingerbread House Festival was for our members! Not only did they love making their entry, but they loved going to the library and viewing the first place Blue Ribbon on it! The children's faces, the comments from various people, the air of excitement, made the whole event most successful. Thank you for hosting and displaying all the entries. It's not whether you win or lose but how many gum drops and peppermints don't make it for viewing."
This has been an especially successful year for the York Public Library in achieving our mission of "engaging the community in the joy of learning."
Have a Happy Holiday Season. We look forward to continuing to serve you in the New Year.
